Demand for intimate self-disclosure and pathological verbalization in schizophrenia.

Abstract

This study tested the hypothesis that schizophrenics behave in a bizarre manner in order to avoid intense interpersonal relationships. The experimental design was a naturalistic interview paradigm based on the work of J. Haley and S. M. Jourard in 1963 and 1964, respectively. Results clearly showed that schizophrenics were markedly delusional and autistic in response to a demand (via modeling by the £) that they reveal their personal feelings and experiences about several emotion-laden topics. In direct contrast, nonpsychotic psychiatric patients met task demands by intimately disclosing their feelings. Requests for superficial disclosure resulted in no differences among groups. The findings provided strong support for the Sullivan-Cameron-Haley position that the bizarre language of schizophrenics is a function of the threat of interpersonal relationships and generally provided validating evidence for Haley's communication theory of psychopathology and Jourard's self-disclosure model.A compelling interpretation of the bizarre thought processes of schizophrenics is that their source and maintenance lie in severely disturbed interpersonal relationships (Cameron, 1938(Cameron, , 1947Haley, 1963;Sullivan, 1944). The schizophrenic's interpersonal experiences have been presumably so noxious that he has opted for a life style which negates interpersonal relationships via his use of nonconsensual, autistic language. Empirical studies have demonstrated that schizophrenics are inferior to normals on tasks involving social stimuli. Lebow and Epstein (1963) found that schizophrenics told their poorest

Inner Speech and Clarity of Self-Concept in Thought Disorder and Auditory-Verbal Hallucinations

“…The protocols elicited speech samples relating to emotionally laden (salient interview) and neutral (non-salient interview) topics, given the evidence that participants diagnosed with psychosis show more TD when asked to talk about emotional material (Docherty et al, 1994a; Docherty, 2005; Shimkunas, 1972). The salient interview involved 15 questions that promoted self-disclosure by asking for negative autobiographical memories, whereas the non-salient interview included 15 questions that did not promote self-disclosure (see Appendix 1 for interview items).…”

“…TD has been observed to become more pronounced when patients are asked to disclose negative autobiographical memories (Shimkunas, 1972; Tai et al, 2004) or affect-laden material (Docherty et al, 1994a, 1994b; Docherty, 1996; Docherty et al, 1998; Mohagheghi et al, 2013). …”

Privacy and Self‐Disclosure in Social Relationships

“…It should be noted that adjustments in self boundary regulation may fluctuate, involving different levels of desired self-disclosure outputs and inputs, depending on the content area of disclosure, social relationship, and personality characteristics. Persons may maintain relatively rigid self boundaries in content areas that relate to personal problems, while maintaining open contact (i.e., inputs and outputs) in areas that do not provoke anxiety or stress (Chaikin, Derlega, Bayma, & Shaw, 1975;Shimkunas, 1972). T h e self boundary may be open or closed depending on such interpersonal factors as one's perceived trust of a disclosure target (Altman, 1973;Rubin, 1975), friendship (Chaikin & Derlega, 1974b), or status (Slobin, Miller, & Porter, 1968).…”

Exploring a multifactorial, clinical model of thought disorder : application of a dimensional, transdiagnostic approach.

“…Perhaps the earliest study of the impact of stress on TD was conducted by Shimkunas (1972), who found that emotionally-salient questions elicited greater thought (Docherty et al, 1994;Docherty, Sledge, & Wexler, 1994;Docherty, 1996;Docherty & Herbert, 1997;Docherty, Hall, & Gordinier, 1998). Consistent findings were later replicated by other researchers (Haddock et al, 1995;Tai, Haddock, & Bentall, 2004).…”